UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
NTL No. 2002-N02 |
Effective Date: February 14, 2002 |
NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS
LEASES
IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF
Revised Guidelines for Royalty Relief Under 30 CFR Part 203
This NTL supersedes NTL 99-04N and amends the guidelines for applying for royalty relief. As we stated in earlier NTLs on royalty relief, we expect to periodically update these guidelines to reflect our experience in processing applications. This update makes these guidelines consistent with the new regulations for discretionary deepwater royalty relief which we published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2002 (67 FR 1862).
Under 30 CFR Part 203, certain lessees may apply to MMS for a suspension of royalty payments or a reduced royalty rate by submitting a complete application. We describe the specific data elements, parameters, reports and computer model or spreadsheets in a complete application in two separate Appendices to this NTL. They also explain the procedures we will follow for evaluating applications and implementing royalty relief. These guidelines are:
Appendix I: GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION, REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEEP WATER ROYALTY RELIEF PROGRAM andAppendix I contains the following changes from the previous version of these guidelines. We are not updating Appendix II at this time.
Appendix II: GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION, REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND ADMINISTRATION OF ROYALTY RELIEF FOR END-OF-LIFE LEASES.
You may request a copy of the guidelines from your regional office. They, along with the computer model or spreadsheet that you will need to prepare an application, are also available on the MMS website at http://www.mms.gov.
We also alert you that the new regulations establish a procedure for all leases, not just deepwater ones in the Gulf of Mexico, to request relief outside our established programs when certain conditions hold.
If you have any questions on this NTL, you may contact Marshall Rose (703) 787-1538.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Statement: Any collection of information that we mention in this NTL and its guidelines provides clarification, description, or interpretation of requirements contained in 30 CFR Part 203. The Office of Management and Budget has approved our collection of information required by these regulations and assigned OMB Control Number 1010-0071. These guidelines do not impose additional information collection requirements that would be subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Carolita U.Kallaur
Associate Director for
Offshore Minerals Management
Attachments:
Appendix I
Appendix II